These little potatoes are so delicious I could certainly eat them at least once a week accompanied by a bowl of rice and kimchi. It may seem odd to eat potatoes with rice, but the sweet and salty, sticky glaze goes perfectly with warm rice.
You’ll want to seek out very small potatoes for this dish. I found both yellow and red mini potatoes at our local Safeway. The potatoes should be just about 1 1/4-inch wide and weigh less than an ounce each.
To peel or not to peel. It’s totally up to you. I do find that the peeled potatoes are a bit more flavorful because they absorb the sauce more than skin on potatoes. However, unpeeled potatoes look so pretty with their crackly glazed skins. Variety is the spice of life.
The cooked potatoes are first braised in the sauce on low heat. Once the sauce has reduced by about half, you’ll want to turn the heat up a bit to further thicken the sauce. Stand by the pot as the soy sauce and sugar mixture can burn quickly if left unattended.
Here the sauce has reduced to the perfect consistency. It will thicken as it cools so try not to reduce the sauce too much. The last thing you will do is gently turn the potatoes in the sauce before serving.
Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds over the potatoes just before you serve them.
- 1 pound small yellow or red potatoes, about 1¼-inch in diameter weighing about 1 ounce or less each (peeled or skin on)
- 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 medium garlic cloves, crushed
- roasted sesame seeds
- Place potatoes in a wide pot (Dutch oven works great) and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 6-8 minutes. Check doneness after 6 minutes to ensure they don't overcook.
- While potatoes are cooking, combine 1 cup water with soy sauce, sugar, honey and maple syrup. Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
- Drain cooked potatoes and return to the pot. Add soy sauce mixture and crushed garlic. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and keep at a lively simmer for 12-15 minutes. The liquid will have reduced by half. Increase heat to medium and reduce sauce until it is thick and coats the potatoes with a glaze, about 5 minutes (watch closely so the sauce does not burn). Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Potatoes can be served warm or at room temperature and will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
